Stocking-supporter.



J. E. GRAHAM.

STOGKING SUPPORTER. APPLIGATION FILED s113120, 1907.

Eatente Apr. 6, i999.

/VVEZVZ'R Irnuirnn srnrns PATENT ornron Speci'cation of Letters Patent.

. Patented april c, rees." f

amusant- 1 sied septemer 2o, ian?. sensing. essere;

To all whom it 'may concern," I v v.Be it known that l, Jenn Fnnnnron GRA- HAM, afoitizen of the United States, residing i at715 lVest Monroe street, Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State oi illinois, have ihvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking-Supporters, of which thefollowingis a specification.. A

The main objects of this invention yare to 10 provide an improved andv inexpensive forni y of stockingsupporter ywhich may be made of washable, nonlelastic material, which may.

be permanently attacherl to the-stocking,

- and vwhich is readily adjustable to t the 1 5' wearersfleg Without the use of metal {asteng or adjusting means; and to provide a 4de-l I vice of this'classiwhioh is Jfree from the pres sure lwhith is always present withthe usual elastic garter,- and which, though madeof v non-'elastic material, will readily adapt itself to the movements of the muscles of the wear er s leg' so as to avoid interference with such movements.. v rl`hese objects are accomplished by the devicefshown p in vthe accompanying drawings, in which'l l l Figure lv is an elevation of. a stocking, provided with supporting means constructed acoo rding to this invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the saine a pliedjto the wearers leg. Fig. 3 isa rear e evation illustrating the method of connecting the strands ofthe 'supportevrlat the back ofl the leg.

ln the forni shown in the drawings, the

Y garter consists of. a single strip of flexible maf terial, such as tape or cord, and ot a length more than suflicient to twice encircle the -wearers leg. This is doubled -upon itself at a point about midway of its ends, thev fold A Y being then sewed or otherwise fastened to,

40 the selvageofthe stocking. The vstrip thus forms two strands each connectedat one endV to the .stocking in such manner 'that when pulled taut in alinernent with its attached part', 'each of said strands will extend 11pwardly across the-upperY edge of the stocking adjacent toits point oi attachmentthereto. .l The strand E is iorniedV into a loopat a cer tainpoint intermediate of its ends, said loop being of suitable size'to permit the strand D to pass loosely through it. I The parts of, the strandB are sewed together, orv otherwise secured, at E, so as to prevent accidentalshift ing oropening of the'loop C. v

The operation of the device shownis as 55 follows z-elt .is preferred that the point of atn tachrnent of the garter to the stocking, designated A inthe drawings, beat the iront of v the stocking. I Then the strands B and D are passed around behind the legin opposite rections, as in Fig. 2. At the back of' theleg- 6ov the strand 'D is passed through the loopl, and the free ends ovthestrands are than passed in opposite 'directions around the leg, as lshown in Figi, thel upper'partloi each. strand passing back around the same side Iof .the leg as its, owerpart, insteadotoontinuing around the leg in lone direction. The 'two ends vof 'the strandsl are thentied oretherg vwise fastenedltogether at'thefront ofthe legfj, l 'lheup'per ends of the strands thus l 'rer'f slip noose encircling the'leg, and nl"y oi 'the loose sliding of the strand theloop C, said'n'oosemayreadilyI f contract in diameterl'to suit the movements of themusclesfof the leg. -Neitherstrand 75 passesv entirely around the legi. But `by coupling them together' by means ofthe loop, and returning each strand around its respeta-'I tive side ofthe leg, a snugly fitting bandis formed above the'fcali, with two strands de 80 scending therefrom and each secured yto the stocking'. Adownwardpull upon the'stock-- ing is distributed 'equally upon 'both the When in position on-.the wearers leg, the

' i arter maybe regarded asy forming a arge oop above thestocking, two sights or bends at oppositesides of thev loopfbeing brought together around the weareris leg and conl nested so 'as' to he relatively slidable by means oi thesrnall loop C. l vExperience has proven that this torni ci -garteris capable oi supportingthe stocking in a satisfactory manner without ine-ermenience to the wearer, even though the, wearer engage in active athletic exertion. The gar`u ter holds its place and exerts a iniid, .but iirni tension upon the stocking, and it is im rial ier the efliciency oi the garterm e i the strandsv :be round or fiat.

-ll'hat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis l. The 'combination loi`a stocking and a garter comprising two flexiblestrands, each, secured to the stockingat "one end, means on one oi said strands whereby said stranden jf slidably engage each other at a point a their points of attachment to the stes il the tree ends of the strandsbeing oi' sui i i length toperinit them tothe fastened to gether so as to completely encircle-.the leg 'of strands being'4 of sufficient length to permit 10 [thewe'arer above said means. l f teni to4 be fastened together .after com' i v2. The combination of a stoeking and `a pletely encircling the vleg ofthe wearerkebove garterzompising m exible s'tandls, each "saidloop 'secure to t estoe 'gat pneen a' on on l -one of said strands extendingv ztewardpqne JOHN -FREDRICK GRAHAM side and adapted to slidably engage theother /Vtnessesz-V A strand at a point -above their 'points of at- ARTHUR WATSON MAY, `taehmentfs-t o`the stocking',l the Ifree ends efthe THEODORE-PURSELL ELLIOTT, 

